Here is a gluten-free and... sugar-free plum tart version I tried (if you omit the last part of the recipe with the meringue topping, which - to be honest - i added simply because I didn't want to throw away the egg white)!!! It's really tasty, ideal for breakfast and tastes great with yogurt on the side! For the tart shell I used oat flour, which is a great gluten-free option but you must be
careful when using it in baking, because it will not
hold together as regular wheat flour would, so I recommend you to mix it with other
flours and maybe a combining agent, like egg, for better results. I mixed it with amaranth flour (really
healthy and high in protein), but you could mix it with other gluten-free
options, like rice flour, chickpea (garbanzo) flour, corn flour, etc.
For the crust you'll need:
226 grams butter
1 ½ cup oatmeal flour
1 ½ cup amaranth flour
½ cup honey (or agave syrup or stevia)
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-6 tablespoons of water
1 egg yolk (optional, but works as a combining agent)
For the filling you'll need:
16-20 plums washed, pit removed
½ cup honey (or agave syrup or stevia)
3 tablespoons corn starch
130 grams mascarpone
half vanilla pod (or ½ teaspoon vanilla powder)
juice of 1 lime
For the meringue (optional)
1 egg white
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons natural brown sugar
To serve (optional):
greek style strained yogurt
honey
grated lime zest
crushed walnuts
Combine
the two types of flour, cinnamon, salt, lemon and lime zest in a bowl. Add the
butter in chunks, egg yolk and honey and work with your hands until it
resembles coarse meal. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of water evenly over your mixture
and mix it until incorporated using either your hands or a fork. To test if
you’ve got it right, squeeze a small handful of dough in your hand and if it
doesn’t hold together, add some more water (1/2 tablespoon at a time). If it
gets too lumpy add a bit more flour. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be
tough. Form a ball with it, wrap it in plastic wrap (or a container) and
chill in the fridge for at least an hour. You can also prepare the dough ahead
and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days (or in the freezer if you wish
to store it for longer) and use it when needed.
Wash half
the prunes and remove the pits. I keep their skin on because they give a
beautiful colour to the cream you are about to make. Cut them in chunks and put
them in a medium saucepan on low heat.
Start stirring until they melt (if they
start sticking on the saucepan, add a tablespoon of water, but if you keep the
heat low that won’t be necessary). Stir in the corn starch. When creamy, turn
off the heat and add the honey and lime juice. Scrape the vanilla seeds from
the pod and mix them in the cream. Finally, add the mascarpone stirring gently
until incorporated.
Remove the
chilled tart dough from the fridge. Lightly butter a baking tray. Roll out the
pastry and arrange it nicely in the tray (I use my fingers to spread it out).
Make several holes with a fork and bake in preheated oven for about 15-20
minutes (190°C, 375°F, Gas Mark 5).
Once ready, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the prune
cream in the tart shell. Wash the rest of the prunes, remove their pits and
slice them nicely. Arrange the prune slices on top of the cream.
At this point
you either put it straight in the oven and bake it for about 20 minutes or
until the cream thickens, or you may add a thin layer of meringue on top. So, using an
electric mixer, beat the egg white with the sugar and salt until thick. Spread it
on top of the tart and bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until
golden at 160°C, 320°F, Gas Mark 4.
Remove from oven and allow it to cool down.
You may
serve it with Greek-style strained yogurt, on which you may add, grated lime
zest, crushed walnuts and honey!
